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MH13

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Everything posted by MH13

  1. I have worked as a SLPA for 4 years and I am in my first semester into my graduate program. I will say, stay close to the field; make sure your gap year is relevant to speech pathology. Schools are more willing to hire SLPAs than a home health/ECI setting. I didn't intend to work as a SLPA as long as I have, but my program will do an app cycle for their distance ed program once every 2 years and I have to work. Good luck in whatever you pursue, just make sure that whatever you do is relevant to speech pathology in some way. I would say that unless they ask for a resume, they may not be concerned with what you did in the gap year. Just make sure if wherever you apply to that asks for a resume, link your experiences back to speech pathology there for sure.. if no link, don't make it up . I shouldn't have to say that (not saying you would) but someone reading this might need a reminder of that! I've been floored by some of the 'what should be obvious' things that we've been told in grad school so far because it's been an issue!
  2. No problem! In the US, you apply for SLPA license in the state you’re in. Since I have my bachelors in comm disorders, I had fulfilled my requirements for license. Most leveling people are ok too, just depends on the university. I am working as a SLPA and going to grad school now. I’ve been a SLPA for 4 years and just now started grad school. Now I didn’t apply each year- I wanted to go through the program I’m in now because it’s designed to allow me to work while going to school. I have to work- I have a family to help support, so quitting and going to grad school on campus is not possible for me. Anyways, my grad school only has application cycles once every 2 years. Good luck and it’s good you have a back up. It has helped me already that I’ve worked in the field.
  3. I’m not sure about Canadian schools BUT I know US grad schools don’t always care if you level or have your degree in communication disorders. I am in my first semester of grad school and half of my cohort is people like me who have our degree in communication disorders and half that leveled. It really comes down to your GPA, GRE scores, letter of intent and recommendation letters/interviews. It sounds like what you’re looking at is the US equivalent of leveling. 5 courses per term sounds like a lot, but it’s not. I’m betting there is an observation course each term, which should fulfill your university-directed observation requirements. Here in the states ASHA allows your grad program to count 25 hours of your undergraduate observation/practicum hours towards our 400 hours of required practicum for grad school. I bet it’s not too different. Good luck!
  4. My school (TWU) only looked at the last 60 hours, which was okay, as it didn't make much difference in GPA- I had almost a full MEd in special education by the time I applied for the distance venue, so my average was mostly grad-level classes...which did not make a difference, as I know a few with a M Ed in sped like myself who did not ultimately get accepted. I think it is just too common now that if you do not get accepted for grad school in speech pathology that the back up is M Ed sped...so maybe they aren't as impressed by it? I don't know and I am often times GLAD I do have a solid education now in sped, as I am a SLP-A in the schools and now a grad student for speech (freaking finally!!) My undergrad class at Texas Tech- SUPER competitive and I was lucky to probably be waitlisted by them with a 3.8 speech lang hearing sciences GPA... several girls in my classes were around a 4.0- again... SUPER competitive. Tech often feels that they can 'cherry pick' as they have so many applicants...which is probably true. Have you looked into West Texas A&M university? I know they weren't so great a few years ago, but now they have improved their program, from what I was told by a couple of people I had undergrad at Tech with that ultimately ended up going to WT. WT often gets over looked in favor for Tech or Eastern New Mexico... WT is in Canyon, outside of Amarillo TX. I would say look at mine but my program is distance and you really want to continue working in TX in the schools (that's the basis of the program)...which I plan on while my kids are in school...but also do PRN work in other settings. Anyways, good luck.. this is just a super competitive field to get into.
  5. Look at West Texas A&M university in Canyon. They are outside of Amarillo TX and often overlooked due to most people applying to Texas Tech (where I did undergrad) or Eastern New Mexico in Portales NM. Do NOT give up. I graduated in ‘13 with my BS in speech language hearing sciences from Tech. Waitlisted for them 2 times. I took some time off for my kids- I actually had my son while in my first year of SLHS undergrad and my daughter the day I finished my senior year! (Took my last final that morning and had her that afternoon) anyways, I decided to work as a SLPA for some experience. Texas Woman’s University in Denton has the online SLP program. Well, I applied for cycle 9- waitlisted. Continued working in my school district and when cycle 10 for TWU came around, I applied again. The only thing I changed was my Letter of intent. I was very honest and raw about why I needed to attend their program- guess what?! I was accepted a week before they stated they would notify applicants of acceptance! I just finished kick off week in Denton and my first week of distance classes. I. LOVE. IT. My 35 year old self is finally going to be a SLP!!! Girl, if you move to TX and obtain a SLPA job, esp in the schools and TWU hosts a cycle 11, which I can’t see why they won’t- I would say apply. You will need to have your last 60 hours of coursework to be over a 3.0 but my cohort was averaging 3.7. GREs were 145-150 and about a 3-4 on the writing. My Avg was I think 3.7 and gre was right in the avg stars except I had a 5 on writing. If anything, some of these programs like mine who look at last 60 hrs of course work do NOT state it needs to be communication disorder. Take something easy BUT make sure that the amount you take will delete the amount of negative to reach 60. It’s hard to explain but they won’t allow you to cherrypick the best grades to configure the 60. If you have 58 hours of amazing grades but have a previous semester of not so good, they would take that not so good to have the minimum of 60 if you didn’t take a course to obtain the final 2 hours.
  6. Exactly regarding the tornadoes. I was just in Denton the last week of May for TWU kickoff week for the distant SLP program and there was a ‘nader outbreak. Our prof Dr Mehta (UTD grad) just kept going, as we were in the best location in the building for that weather. Congratulations on your acceptance OP! I’ve had friends who went through UTD and they lived close to Med District and most had a roommate, which was awesome if one doesn’t have a car and the roomie does.
  7. Ya know, I think the same. I had it better via online too! Hahahahaha what I feel made mine tough was the “shortened” time limit. I mean, we literally crammed an entire semester of work in from Jan 14- April 10. That’s kind of crazy! I also start grad school the last week of May so I am getting about a month and a half of no homework so, it worked out.
  8. I did. I took it online through Central Texas College. It was tough, but I got my credit. They have most classes like that on a “shortened” long semester. What I mean is that my class started Jan 14 and ended April 10, took off a week for spring break. I literally had homework every weekend and what killed me were the tests. They were more difficult and like 30-40 questions in a 1 hr time limit. A lot of them also required math. My grad school only requires me to get a C or better for chem. Thank GOD Bc I am super proud of that C.
  9. I’ve finished my Master’s in education while working as a SLPA. It wasn’t easy but it wasn’t the worst. I will update you in the fall, as I will be in grad school again for speech this time while continuing to work as a SLPA. My program is designed for me to work as a SLPA, but I am not confident my SPED director “gets it”.
  10. Texas Woman’s University but must live in texas and work as a school-based SLP. Not for life but, a decent amount of time. They should authorize Cycle 11 in a year, year and a half- once tx education agency reauthorizes the funding.
  11. Usually all you need is your bachelor’s degree. Check with your state to see if you have the courses required. In TX, levelling courses usually don’t fulfill the educational requirements, but it’s only 1-2 classes short. You do need to have 25 hours of observation and 25 hrs of direct client experience, meaning you’re providing therapy with a CCC’ed SLP supervising the entire 25 hours. Most UG programs fulfill the observation, but don’t offer opportunity to provide direct therapy services. Most jobs you can obtain that quite easily.
  12. Look at Eastern New Mexico. They do online classes and that is a required course before you apply to ENMU, or at least I was told by the other SLPA I work with. I got accepted to TWU distance and I will take it in the grad program, so I didn’t really pay much attention. I live in TX too!
  13. No problem! Keep in mind that you will have clinic time in your program on campus and other places such as schools and skilled nursing facilities (nursing home). My program requires 6 practicum hours a week, which is about what most require.
  14. From what I’m told, it depends on the SLPA job and the graduate program. For example, my grad program that I will start this summer is designed for the students to work as a SLPA while in the program. My first SLP supervisor told me that traditional programs that have classes throughout the day don’t allow for time to work as a SLPA. If you can work and go to school, it can be done, but it is difficult. I worked full time and took a full load of graduate courses when I got my master’s in education. I completed about 75% of the degree when I got hired as a SLPA, so I just hurried up and finished. It was difficult but it is doable.
  15. Call Monday and see what is going on. I was under the impression this past Wednesday during the webinar for admitted students that they set the class for cycle 10. Call Ms Tomlinson or Mrs Chance and see if there was an oversight in letting you know your status. Classes start Monday for the observation class for students who did not obtain the 25 university directed hours of observation.
  16. If you look online at TWU’s website for communication disorders, there should be a sign up for campus tours. See if one of those dates will work for you and check back often, as they add dates as they come available. I’ve been accepted to the distance program for Cycle 10. They told us last night in our informational webinar that next week Cycle 9 is taking comps and classes are starting up on Monday...they are super busy because not only do they have the undergraduates, on-campus graduate students, but approx 200 distance grad students now to take care of. It’s a bit hectic there. But I would recommend signing up for one of the Friday tours!
  17. Yep. I’m about to take chemistry online to fulfill my requirement. I am in Texas and I’m taking it through Central Texas College. As a Tx resident, not local to Killeen TX where the main campus is located, it cost me $452 for 4 hours, including the lab requirement. I will rent my textbooks, however much that costs. Asha doesn’t really care (as long as it’s not a remedial course, ive only heard of those for math courses in college) just look up their guidelines as to what the course needs to cover.
  18. I wasn’t. It was the one who started the thread, MomofTwo I think who was accepted to Emerson. I only applied to TWU. I wrote about my caseload and the current status of the SLPs changing every year due to the workload and that 90% or so of our students are below federal poverty level and we are literally the ONLY source of therapy. We’ve seen an increase in severe disorders- I’m talking students who have feeding tubes! Right now they are half day PPCD but before we know it they will be full time at school and we need more than one slp in my rural district to provide services. I’ve also been there in the same district 4 years, outlasting all of my SLP supervisors.
  19. Not sure. I did my undergrad pregnant. Yeah. It was hard. I wouldn’t recommend it. I had my son 2 weeks before spring break and still needed to come in for exams but they were pretty understanding about lecture. I felt very behind even though I had some great girls who took awesome notes and such for me. My daughter was born the day of finals, a week before graduation. I literally went in and did my last final, went home to get my stuff and back to the hospital to have my c-section that afternoon. I didn’t attend graduation. I can only imagine how difficult grad school would be and I know they always suggest to wait until after you complete school and your CFY year.
  20. They should! Mine accepted me and was like okay, this is what you have to take and complete before the first day of classes. So, I’m taking an online chem class from Central Texas College for $452. Cheapest I could find that was 100% online since I can’t just leave my job midday (I’m a school SLP Assistant) to take a class. It was also cheaper than the in-person class that is weekends! Craziness. Anyways, good luck, and thank you!
  21. Yeah, I did that too.. and now I am accepted to a graduate program, the ASHA standard will be in effect before I graduate and I HAVE to have either chem or physics taken before May 2019, which my grad program begins at the end of May. Anyways, I am enrolled in an online chemistry 1406 course, it is for allied health majors and will be okay for the ASHA req. From what I understand, unless you graduate and will apply for your C's before January 1 2020, you need to have the chem/physics. Just play it safe and take the course and no issue!
  22. Right.. you said exactly what I thought- small area (Amarillo/Canyon) and people kind of forget about them. I know that applicants (including myself) apply for TTUHSC first...and if they are waitlisted (I was) or denied admission, the next move is usually ENMU if they are out here in the Lubbock area. I didn't ever finish my application to ENMU, I had started it, but never finished... I wasn't jazzed about spending at 2 afternoons a week in their clinic during the long semesters for my first practicum. I work in a school district as a SLPA not too far from the TX border and I actually forgot about WT until I met my first SLP supervisor. She had been a prof there a few years ago and told me about the program and we discussed how I couldn't quit for 2 years to finish my degree. Anyways, I'm glad you enjoy your program!!
  23. Same! Ummm I tried but I have to have a friend to add. So idk anyone else who was accepted and idk if I’m really that girl to admin. But I guess it could be worse.
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